Global Women
Women and Men in the Labor Force, 2010 and Projected 2020, Ages 15+*1
|
Number of Women in the Labor Force 2010 |
Number of Men in the Labor Force 2010 |
Number of Women in Labor Force, Projected 2020 |
Number of Men in Labor Force, Projected 2020 |
|
|
Latin America & Caribbean |
113,371,000 |
165,190,000 |
134,422,000 |
188,639,000 |
|
Central America |
24,460,000 |
41,921,000 |
30,286,000 |
48,599,000 |
|
Caribbean |
7,612,000 |
11,007,000 |
8,560,000 |
12,062,000 |
|
South America |
81,299,000 |
112,262,000 |
95,576,000 |
127,977,000 |
|
Europe |
168,212,000 |
194,674,000 |
165,143,000 |
189,000,000 |
|
Northern Europe |
23,660,000 |
27,523,000 |
24,385,000 |
28,421,000 |
|
Western Europe |
43,327,000 |
50,680,000 |
43,547,000 |
49,836,000 |
|
Eastern Europe |
71,207,000 |
75,801,000 |
67,198,000 |
70,387,000 |
|
Southern Europe |
30,018,000 |
40,670,000 |
30,013,000 |
40,356,000 |
|
Africa |
169,925,000 |
244,262,000 |
224,635,000 |
314,929,000 |
|
Northern Africa |
20,214,000 |
55,624,000 |
24,551,000 |
66,211,000 |
|
Western Africa |
44,439,000 |
67,393,000 |
60,387,000 |
87,795,000 |
|
Eastern Africa |
73,410,000 |
78,969,000 |
98,763,000 |
107,007,000 |
|
Middle Africa |
21,843,000 |
29,632,000 |
30,190,000 |
39,886,000 |
|
Southern Africa |
10,019,000 |
12,645,000 |
10,744,000 |
14,030,000 |
|
Northern America** |
84,586,000 |
99,032,000 |
90,840,000 |
106,680,000 |
|
Canada |
9,066,000 |
10,186,000 |
9,675,000 |
11,001,000 |
|
United States |
75,520,000 |
88,846,000 |
81,165,000 |
95,679,000 |
|
Oceania*** |
8,117,000 |
9,672,000 |
9,223,000 |
10,860,000 |
|
Australia |
5,173,000 |
6,210,000 |
5,659,000 |
6,696,000 |
|
New Zealand |
1,088,000 |
1,271,000 |
1,175,000 |
1,380,000 |
|
Asia |
760,311,000 |
1,243,952 |
829,804,000 |
1,394,073,000 |
|
Western Asia |
20,467,000 |
60,125,000 |
24,554,000 |
71,712,000 |
|
South-Central Asia |
214,054,000 |
505,897,000 |
259,278,000 |
601,774,000 |
|
South-Eastern Asia |
124,718,000 |
173,522,000 |
143,232,000 |
198,895,000 |
|
Eastern Asia |
401,071,000 |
504,409,000 |
402,741,000 |
521,693,000 |
Labor Force by Gender and Region, 2010 and Projected 2020, Ages 15+ 2
Northern America–Total and By Region**
Latin America and Caribbean–Total and by Region
Europe – Total and By Region
Asia–Total and By Region
Labor Force Participation Rates of Women and Men, 2010 and Projected 20203
|
Country |
Women, 2010 |
Men, 2010 |
Women, Projected 2020 |
Men, Projected 2020 |
|
Africa |
54.5% |
80.1% |
56.3% |
80.1% |
|
Asia |
50.2% |
79.7% |
48.1% |
78.4% |
|
Europe |
51.8% |
66.1% |
51.8% |
64.1% |
|
Latin America and Caribbean |
52.0% |
79.6% |
53.1% |
78.4% |
|
North America |
58.8% |
71.8% |
57.7% |
69.7% |
|
Oceania |
59.9% |
72.8% |
59.6% |
71.3% |
* Although women’s share of the labor force has increased almost everywhere, women are still less likely than men to be considered economically active. A major reason for the statistical discrepancy is the definition of "work." National labor statistics generally count workers in or seeking employment in formal sector enterprises and not those engaging in unstructured and unregulated casual labor, such as petty trade, food processing, and domestic work, in which women are far more active than men.4
** Also includes Bermuda, Greenland, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon. The ILO includes Mexico in Central America.
*** Includes area island nations as well as Melanesia and Micronesia
Sources
1 International Labour Office Bureau of Statistics, "Economically Active Population Estimates and Projections," LABORSTA.
2 International Labour Office Bureau of Statistics, "Economically Active Population Estimates and Projections," LABORSTA.
3 International Labour Office Bureau of Statistics, "Economically Active Population Estimates and Projections," LABORSTA.
4 Joni Seager, The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World (New York: Penguin, 2003).
UPDATED August 17, 2011
